Swept Away (Wildfire Lake 3)

Bodhi glances at Chloe, and when she says nothing, he returns his gaze to mine. “What do you mean?”

“I mean your given name is Shannon Leslie Duncan, and you've got quite the rap sheet. In juvie from the time you turned twelve, then graduating to prison by eighteen. Grand larceny, armed robbery, drugs, fraud—”

“Xavier.” Chloe’s reprimand is terse, and her hand tightens on mine with enough force to make my eyes water.

I turn my gaze on Chloe. Her eyes are hot, but not in a good way. I lift my hand from my weapon, cup her cheek, and soften my voice. “Hey, baby. Couldn’t wait to get home to you.”

Then I drop my head and kiss her. She sips a breath a millisecond before our lips touch, and her eyes stay open—until my mouth moves on hers. Then her lashes flutter and fall, and some of the tension leaves her body. She doesn’t exactly kiss me back, but she lets her mouth linger when she could pull away. As far as kisses go, this one is beyond chaste, but I feel like one of the invisible walls between us has shattered.

“Well.” Bodhi clears his throat, and Chloe pulls away. Her big blue eyes search mine before lowering to my chest, and her face flushes a beautiful pink.

“I’d better greet my guests. I’ll talk to you in the morning, Chloe.” Bodhi is clearly disappointed but surprisingly cordial. “And I suppose I’ll see you at the welcome dinner tomorrow night, Xavier.”

“I suppose so.” When Bodhi turns away, but while he’s still within earshot, I say, “When is this over, baby? You look good enough to eat.”

She looks at me with so many emotions, I can’t read them all, then she glances around at the crowd. I follow her gaze and find a lot more people looking at us now. Levi’s got a grin on his face that looks like a high five, and Laiyla’s dropped her jaw. KT’s expression is harder to read. More suspicious.

Becky Wade, an employee of the market who’s a few classes ahead of Piper, passes with an empty food tray on her way back inside. She shoots us both a sparkling grin. “It’s about damn time you two came out of the closet.”

As soon as Becky disappears into the market, Chloe turns a furious gaze on me. “Inside. Now.”

She turns away and enters the market. This ought to be interesting. I’ve never seen this woman the least bit upset, not in all the time I’ve known her.

I follow her inside and find her waiting outside the door to a supply closet. “Get in here.”

“I like this demanding side. Seriously sexy.”

With an exasperated huff, she heads inside the storage room and I follow, wishing we were in here for an entirely different reason. When I close the door behind me, she’s pacing, arms crossed, gaze on the floor.

It’s the first time I’ve stopped to really look at her. The dress she’s wearing is both sweet and sexy, dark pink and covered in flowers. The vee in the front is wide, exposing the plump inner curves of her breasts. The skirt swirls around her legs every time she turns. The kind of skirt a man could effortlessly slip his hands under. Her breasts press against the top every time she breathes. Her hair is down and a little tousled from her hands. I lean back against the door and rest my thumbs in my duty belt. “Damn, girl, you look gorgeous.”

“Stop it.” She paces to the end of the room and faces me, looking a little unhinged. “This is a big deal. People here know who I am. They know who Bodhi is. Most probably know we were together at one time. You just kissed me in front of my friends and clients and potential clients, not to mention people who live in town.”

“You’re welcome—”

“This isn’t funny.” Her frustration slips toward panic.

“—for getting that fucker’s hands off you,” I finish. “How do you think that would look to your friends and others in the industry?”

She stalks toward me, and the look in her eyes tells me she’s about to break. “You had no right.”

“To what? Step in to take care of a friend? You certainly weren’t doing it yourself. At least now he’ll think twice before he touches you again.” I tilt my head. “Or is that what you’re really angry about? That he’ll back off because you kissed me.”

“I— What— That’s not—” She huffs. “I did not kiss you.”

I laugh, just a little bubble that pops, then disappears. “Whatever you say.”

She covers her face with her hands, and her shoulders slump. I sigh and take a step to close the distance between us, then wrap her in my arms. I expect her to push me away or bite me or something. Instead, she leans into me, presses her forehead to my chest, and curls my uniform shirt into her hands. Then stays there.

This isn’t anything like the occasional hug we share as friends

. This is Chloe needing me, and it creates a fundamental shift somewhere deep inside.

I kiss her head, then murmur, “Want me to arrest him?”

She laughs and lifts her head. “Would it be wrong of me to say yes?”

Now I laugh too, and I find myself looking down at her, her blue eyes bright and wet. A split second before I lower my head to kiss her for real, someone knocks on the door.